Two middle aged cyclists set off from Worthing UK, towards Australia

Crossed Paths

A special page as a roll-call for the other long haul cyclists we meet along the way. Bon voyages all!

Corrections welcom…

But before we greet this elite band from lands across the globe, we must ask; what is it about Worthing?Tim Lezard, a triathlete acquaintance, cycled around the world a year or three ago. Simon King, a swim training acquaintance, son of an old friend of Clare’s, cycled from NZ home to Worthing, not long ago. In Bishkek, we bumped into Tory, going around the world westwards. And we two. That’s 1 in 20,000. Does every town in England chuck out so many long haulers? If so, then in the last few years, 3,500 people from the UK have cycled at least halfway round the globe!

Now, here’s who we else met….

Dave W, with us for the first two weeks.

Paul, Neale & Martin, our swimming mates from home, with us the first week or so. And threatening to RV in IndoChina for more. That little Circe tandem was always first up hills!

Tony, on the ferry to Dieppe, heading for Paris… then Rome.

Valentine, from Ghent, en route to Rome and Naples. Must’ve been like cycling with your parents!

Michael H, on a wonderful – roofed – recumbent trike, on a long circle around Germany, taking in a special bike exhibition in Austria along the way.

Anja Degenhardt. Donaueuschingen (Danube source) to Black sea, met at the same campsite as Monika…

Monika Treipl. Vienna to North Cape (Monika’s blog). And a very kind offer, now we seem to be tracking each other’s progress!

The Swiss couple, Zoe and Adrian, first met at Deggendorf, then again in Hungary, then Croatia, then Serbia, cycling from home to Istanbul.

We took a perhaps unusual version of EV6, along the Romania side, then crossed to Bulgaria at Ruse, then south to use the Marko Taranovo crossing to Turkey, stopping at Kirklareli. During that time we saw no other cycle tourers (except a glimpse of a beard towing a Bob round a corner in Kirklareli). Then as soon as we got on the 020 towards Istanbul…

Arthur and Alban, New Zealand home to France, and Gerome who’d just joined them at Istanbul. Then 10km later, we assume, blasting past on a Btwin, we assume was Francois, who had to catch up.

And at the campsite at Safaalan, Maria and Jean, on a Paris to Istanbul route.

At the Uzbekistan consulate in Istanbul, English Ellis, two months into an eight month round the world trip.

Diana and Simon, at Bisiklet Gezgini in Instanbul, Chester to Istanbul on tandem.

Kars – Turkish cyclist Engin Guner from Istanbul. 2 months around Turkey, told us a lot. We also encountered other Turkish cycle tourers on the ferry out of Istanbul, and in Borkca, but neither was much talkative.

Bishkek, AtHouse – a huge thank you to Angie and Nathan for running such a wonderful establishment. As I type this seven other visiting cycletourists are chatting in the kitchen.

Bishkek, AtHouse, first visit – Dominik & Simon (note – this link is very slow to open, and sometimes fails altogether, Google “Dominic and Simon Travelling” if it fails). From Germany, Germany to Australia and New Zealand, like us flying from Bishkek to Delhi. Met again on the road in, err Malaysia was it. And again in Queensland, Oz.

Bishkek, AtHouse – Faith, from the UK, travelling around the world, having come across China and next following the reverse of our route for a while. And later again at AtHouse, having taken a family break in warm Turkey, changed to a favourite and very speedy bike, crashed, bounced…

Near Murghab in the Pamir- while we were softies in a car, twice seen, once spoken, a Japanese guy, very heavily loaded, riding the Pamir highway eastbound, in the unseasonably cold late October and wind. We don’t know your name, but you made us feel like lightweights! The photo was taken just after the dirt road to the Wakhan/Panj turned south off the Murghab-Khorog road.

Near Murghab in the Pamir- while we were softies in a car. We several times saw a couple, Kevin, who later turned up at AtHouse, and his wife who we never met, they were flying on to Bangkok. And Brecht who was pedalling sometimes with them, sometimes solo, also ended up at AtHouse. At one point I managed to grab a shot of Brecht and Kevin, above, I think this was Saray Tash, between Murghab and Osh.

Bishkek, AtHouse – Glimpses of several other long distance cycle tourers. Not to mention the occasional non-cycling long distance traveller (hello Thomas).

Bishkek, AtHouse, third visit – Michal, from China home to Poland. Alex and Richard (link can be slow to load), Germany to China.

Angie’s birthday party

Sort of karaoke

Once in India, we saw no other cycletourists for over two months, until, as we pushed the bikes thru a corkscrew alley in Varanassi, Alex hailed us from the side. En route Germany eastwards, he had come the Karakorum Highway route. Said it was easy! And two days later, who should Hail us again, but Brecht, who we’d met in Bishkek.

Bagan, Myanmar: Hailed in the street by Jacob and Ernest, Cologne, Germany to Ho Chi Min, Vietnam. And on the ferry to Mandalay, Nicolas and Elise, of France, Bishkek to Bagan.

Kyaikto, Myanmar: Spotted coming out of hotel next door, Zuzana and Zbynek, Czech, heading the same way, who had come through the India Myanmar border we dipped out of. We met again in Kawkreik and in Tak. They’re going to Japan.

Near Kawkreik, Myanmar, on the AH1, Katie and Joseph, hurrah from Blighty, going the other way.

Bangkok: Jason, from Hull, Oz to home, recovering from being hit by a bus in Huahin. Adrian, from Singapore, not cycling but longboarding round the world.

Kanchanaburi, Thailand. Leina Neimand, a South African on a majorly epic trip.

Singapore, at Tree Inn Lodge, Lucas the Brazilian Monkey, loaded with guitar and mandolin. Chloe heading home to France. Nafal from Indonesia, heading for Nepal, was super helpful with Indonesia logistics, setting us up to stay with Zainal in Batam.

OK, here’s a path we didn’t quite cross. Mark Beaumont, attempting to cycle around the globe in 80 days, is charging northeast towards Brisbane as we head south to the same city. Unfortunately he’ll get there first and pack out before us… So close!

If you want to be inspired by previous travellers, checkout Ella Maillart who travelled much of Central Asia in the 1930s, although not by bicycle.

Finally, oh blimey, crossed lines more like. Brussels – have you seen this? Do they mean us?